Each technology has several advantages and disadvantages in certain situations, whether creating a dynamic site on Node.js or any other task. Suppose the programmer knows how to correlate the tool with the project and chooses the best option. In that case, it is possible to completely bypass the disadvantages and use the advantages as much as possible.
Node.js outsourcing involves the work of a programming team in a cross-platform environment, which is widespread among the creators of dynamic web applications. The same technologies and solutions are also used to create video streaming applications and other complex software solutions.
Key Features of Node.js
Node.js includes many features for building web applications and sites. The main ones are the following.
Implemented on JavaScript
Node.js development services are written in JavaScript. In the world of programmers, this language is the most in demand. Few such specialists are unfamiliar with or have not encountered this language. Node.js offers a user-friendly learning experience, allowing for easy comprehension and mastery. In addition, JavaScript is also used in the technology stack for the development of the client interface, and by adding the use of Node.js, developers can create full-fledged working web projects using only JavaScript.
Ability to work asynchronously
This is a defining feature of Node.js. In this case, asynchrony means that the server created with the help of Node.js does not have to wait for data to be returned for any of its work. Simultaneously, several different processes can run in parallel without blocking each other. Both of these properties make Node.js extremely fast and provide a better user interface.
Event-driven architecture
The term “event-driven” means that the code waits for some kind of event before executing. In Node.js, at the start of any operation, you can immediately pass a function that should be executed after the end of this task. Such functions are called callback functions, also known as event handlers. Callback functions require fewer server-side resources and use less memory.
Single-thread work
In Node.js, all single-threaded requests are collected in an event loop. This feature is important because the work of all programs takes place in one flow, starting with receiving the task, executing it, and providing the result to the client. This Node.js feature prevents requests from reloading and reduces their processing time, making it more economical.
Cross-platform compatibility
Node.js is suitable for use on a variety of systems. It is compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and mobile platforms. This makes it possible to create a self-sufficient environment in various areas.
Fast data streaming
Node.js uses the V8 JavaScript execution engine. This engine is also used in the Google Chrome browser. This greatly speeds up Node.js and thus provides high-speed data streaming for the web application.
Scope of Application of Node.js
Node.js is used for various applications. Below, we’ll look at a few popular use cases.
Chating in real-time
Because of its single-threaded asynchronous nature, Node.js can be used for real-time message processing. It is easily scalable and is often used to build chatbots. With Node.js, incorporating additional chat functionalities to accommodate multiple users and push notifications becomes a straightforward process.
Internet of Things (IoT)
IoT applications typically contain multiple sensors because they often send small chunks of data that can accumulate with many requests. Node.js is a good choice because it can handle these concurrent requests quickly.
Data streaming
Companies like Netflix are working with Node.js for streaming. The lightweight and high-speed nature of Node.js primarily contributes to its ease of use. Additionally, Node.js provides its own streaming API. These streams allow users to transfer data faster than using other technologies.
Complex single page applications (SPA)
The entire application is loaded once in SPA on a single HTML page. This usually means multiple requests to change components on the user’s screen are running in the background. This is where the Node.js event loop comes in, as it handles such requests in a non-blocking manner.
Applications based on REST API
JavaScript can be used both on the external and internal interfaces of sites. This way, the server can easily interact with the external interface through the REST API using Node.js. Node.js also offers packages such as Express.js and Koa, which make building a web server from scratch even easier and faster.
How to Scale Node.js Applications
Node.js is so popular due to its performance. It works fast due to various factors. This high performance allows you not to think about scaling the application for a long time. Even a single running Node.js process can serve hundreds or even thousands of requests per second.
Initially, a Node.js application runs on a single thread; accordingly, only one processor core is used to process requests. To use the full potential of multi-core processors, you need to run multiple instances of the application at once. Then each of them will receive computing resources.
Before an application can run on multiple threads, the problem of session storage needs to be addressed. For an application to work in multithreaded mode, all processes have to be equal and have access to all necessary information about users and sessions.
It is better to use the cluster module (or its derivatives) for scaling within a single server, because this makes it easier to control running worker processes. If the application needs to be hosted on several servers, you just need to create several such clusters and set up balancing between them.
Conclusion
Node.js has gained significant popularity and has been adopted by prominent companies and websites like Microsoft, LinkedIn, Yahoo, Google, Netflix, Uber, IBM, eBay, PayPal, Groupon, The Wall Street Journal, Klout, Secret, BandPage, Geeklist, Opencare, Shutterstock, and Walmart.
Many developers are studying it and want to add at least one Node.js web application to their portfolio and work with this technology in the future. There are many reasons for such popularity, which we have described in this article.
